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Food-makers should cut sodium and add potassium to improve Western diets, according to studies published in the journal BMJ. One study found a 24% reduction in stroke risk among people who eat a high level of potassium, and the other found improvement in blood pressure among people who reduce sodium intake.

Wayne Morley, head of food innovation for Leatherhead Food Research, said food-makers must balance reductions in taste and mouthfeel when cutting fat and sugar from their products. "The trend to reduce fat and sugar is obviously going to continue," he said. "With any formulation, it is always a question of compromise."

Researchers say food-makers can cut sodium by up to 25% without harming taste if they add the aroma of salt to their products. The researchers say the strategy enhances the perceived saltiness of food items and could be combined with other salt-reduction techniques.

Reducing sodium to lower blood pressure is great, but many people forget the other side of the equation, which is that increasing potassium intake fights hypertension and protects the heart, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said most people do not get enough potassium, and American Heart Association President Dr. Gordon Tomaselli added that while physicians are aware of potassium's benefits, they are reluctant to take the spotlight off of reducing sodium.

Researchers say eating foods rich in potassium may offset the negative heart impact of a high-salt diet, but said the best course is to both restrict sodium and boost potassium intake. The study examined the diets of more than 12,000 people over 15 years and found those with elevated ratios of sodium to potassium had the highest death rates from heart disease.